Rouvy

Founded in the Czech Republic in 2017, Rouvy is an indoor cycling app that combines video of real-world routes with GPS data to create an augmented reality, allowing you to ride, race, and train on the world's most scenic routes.

History

Rouvy is a relatively new company founded in 2017, but in the fast-moving world of turbo training it’s been around for a while, establishing itself as one of the best indoor training platforms currently available.

Far from an ordinary training app, Rouvy does things a little differently to other training platforms, combining real-world video with GPS data to create an augmented reality in which users can explore and race on some of the most iconic cycling routes in the world - all from the comfort of their living rooms.

The company is the brainchild of Petr and Jiří Samek, brothers from the Czech Republic who wanted to create a better way of training in the off-season. They started recording footage for the app in 2003, before a long period of development under parent company VirtualTraining s.r.o. eventually resulted in what we now know as Rouvy.

With the growth in popularity of indoor training, the platform has also enjoyed huge growth, and now employs over 120 people based out of its headquarters in the Czech Republic. That growth is displayed through the app which offers over 10,000+ real-world routes and has become a popular platform for everyday and professional cyclists alike.

Testament to its growth, ROUVY was awarded a place among the 50 fastest-growing tech companies in Central Europe in 2022 by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 CE. During 2022, Rouvy’s parent company Virtual Training was taken over by Pale Fire Capital.

That takeover led to a rebranding of the company in 2023, with a revamp to its web portal and app. The brand also introduced multiple new routes and a revolutionary new subscription model that allows users to sign up as a part of a group or a pair.

The brand also took on a new look, changing its logo and integrating yellow into its brand colours.

Did you know?

Highlights

• Brothers Petr and Jiri Samek started working on the idea for Rouvy in 2003. 14 years of development followed before Rouvy was officially unveiled in 2017.
• Augmented reality, which the app is now famous for, was first introduced to the platform in 2018. It combines real-world video with GPS data to allow riders to explore real-world roads from their living rooms.
• Rouvy introduced OmniMode in 2022 which gave users a 360-degree view of routes, using expanded real-life footage.
• Pale Fire Capital took over Virtual Training, Rouvy’s parent company, in 2022 with an ambition to make Rouvy “the world’s number one mobile app for virtual training”.
• In 2023, Rouvy was rebranded. The logo was changed and the company’s web portal and app were revamped.